Reading Freud

Winner of the 2010 Sigourney Award!

Reading Freud provides an accessible outline of the whole of Freud''s work from Studies in Hysteria through to An Outline of Psycho-Analysis. It succeeds in expressing even the most complex of Freud''s theories in clear and simple language whilst avoiding over-simplification.

Each chapter concentrates on an individual text and includes valuable background information, relevant biographical and historical details, descriptions of Post-Freudian developments and a chronology of Freud''s concepts. By putting each text into the context of Freud''s life and work as a whole, Jean-Michel Quinodoz manages to produce an overview which is chronological, correlative and interactive. Texts discussed include:

• The Interpretation of Dreams
• The ''Uncanny''
• Civilisation and its Discontents''

The clear presentation, with regular summaries of the ideas raised, encourages the reader to fully engage with the texts presented and gain a thorough understanding of each text in the context of its background and impact on the development of psychoanalysis.

Drawing on his extensive experience as a clinician and a teacher of psychoanalysis, Jean-Michel Quinodoz has produced a uniquely comprehensive presentation of Freud''s work which will be of great value to anyone studying Freud and Psychoanalysis.